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The briefing argues that Japan can mitigate its high reliance on energy imports—currently 99.7% for oil, 97.7% for LNG, and 99.6% for coal—by rapidly expanding domestic renewables and upgrading its national grid. It recommends implementing a JPY 7 trillion 'Master Plan' for interregional transmission to connect resources in Hokkaido and Kyushu to Tokyo. Internationally, the document urges Japan to lead ASEAN countries in transition and disaster resilience while ensuring its own transition measures remain science-based. It specifically warns against the use of LNG as a transition fuel due to methane leakage, noting one study found the GHG footprint of US LNG is 33% greater than coal using GWP20. Finally, it proposes leveraging Japan's financial sector and the GX Plan to make Tokyo a global hub for transition finance through supportive fund management rules and alignment with international standards.

The Russian coal sector is facing a period of decline driven by Western sanctions, rising transport costs, and a shifting global market. While the sector initially buffered the impact of sanctions through peak prices in 2022–2023, 2024 has seen a significant drop in export profitability, with 50% of producers reporting losses in Q1. The report outlines three futures: a 'Developing Coal Sector' following a peace agreement, a 'Shift to the East' as a continuation of the current status quo, and a 'Declining Coal Sector' resulting from expanded conflict and further isolation. Regional impacts vary significantly, with Yakutia emerging as a growth center due to its proximity to Asia, while traditional Siberian hubs like Kuzbass and Khakassia face economic instability and social risk.

The report analyzes the current state of transatlantic industrial decarbonization policies, identifying a significant divergence between the EU's regulatory-led approach and the US's subsidy-driven model. It argues that while high-level negotiations on carbon pricing (such as GASSA) have stalled, there is substantial opportunity for cooperation through 'softer' market functions, including R&D, green public procurement, and the harmonization of technical standards. The document provides a detailed SWOT analysis of various policy instruments and technology-specific areas, recommending the creation of dedicated dialogue platforms and innovation hubs to foster a globally interoperable clean economy.

In 2023, renewables reached a record 30% of global electricity generation, driven by solar and wind. Despite this, global power sector emissions rose by 1% to a record 14,153 million tonnes of CO2, as severe droughts caused a five-year low in hydropower, forcing a reliance on coal in countries like China and India. Solar was the fastest-growing source for the 19th consecutive year, while OECD countries continued to see falling emissions. Ember forecasts that 2023 marked the peak of power sector emissions, with a decline expected in 2024 as clean generation growth is projected to outpace electricity demand.

The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is far from meeting its 2030 goals to stop and reverse deforestation and degradation. In 2023, 6.37 million hectares of forest were permanently lost globally, with tropical regions in Africa and Asia failing to meet their targets. Primary forest loss remains alarmingly high, and forest degradation affects an area ten times larger than that of permanent deforestation. The report identifies unsustainable production and consumption—particularly of agricultural commodities, fossil fuels, and minerals—as primary drivers. While some progress is noted in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, and through new EU regulations like the EUDR, the report highlights a massive gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, with trillions in harmful subsidies continuing to drive ecosystem loss. It emphasizes the critical role of Indigenous peoples and local communities, who face significant violence and limited direct access to funding despite their role as forest guardians.

The 2024 assessment finds that global goals to end deforestation and forest degradation by 2030 remain out of reach, with 6.37 million hectares of forest permanently lost in 2023. While some progress is noted in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, global pressures from unsustainable production—particularly agriculture and mining—persist. The report highlights a critical gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, noting that environmentally harmful subsidies far outweigh investments in forest protection. It also emphasizes the ongoing struggle for indigenous land rights and the increasing threat of human-induced forest fires. The document recommends a radical shift in consumption patterns, the reallocation of harmful subsidies, and the implementation of rights-based governance to protect global forest ecosystems.

The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is far from meeting its 2030 goals to stop deforestation and degradation. In 2023, 6.37 million hectares of forest were permanently lost, with tropical Asia and Africa seeing significant increases. The report highlights that unsustainable production of agricultural commodities and minerals remains the primary driver of loss, often impacting Indigenous Peoples and local communities. While some progress is noted in Brazil and Indonesia, and through new EU regulations like the EUDR, global efforts are hampered by a massive gap between 'green' and 'grey' financing, with trillions in harmful subsidies continuing to incentivize forest destruction.

The 2024 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 6.37 million hectares of forest permanently lost in 2023. Deforestation is primarily driven by commodity production, including agriculture and mining, with significant demand from industrialized nations like China, the EU, and the U.S. While some progress has been made in forest law enforcement and the establishment of protected areas, the report highlights a massive gap between 'green' and 'gray' finance, noting that environmentally harmful subsidies reach USD 2.6 trillion annually. The assessment emphasizes the critical need for rights-based governance and direct funding for Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ensure sustainable forest management.

The document explores the potential of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae as an alternative source of chitin and its derivatives (chitosan and glucosamine), reducing reliance on crustacean aquaculture. It highlights a significant opportunity in South Africa, where approximately 10.3 million tonnes of food waste could potentially yield between 4,258 and 9,036 tonnes of BSF chitin annually, with a theoretical optimistic value of up to $498 million. While the global market for chitin products is projected to grow to $24.9 billion by 2030, the document identifies barriers such as high production costs, lack of industrial-scale extraction expertise in South Africa, and onerous regulatory registration processes. It suggests focusing on niche, high-quality products for biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and leveraging urban waste streams to strengthen the business case.

The document outlines a framework for pricing lithium based on OECD transfer pricing principles, detailing the physical characteristics of brine and mineral deposits, production processes, and the role of price-reporting agencies in establishing market benchmarks for battery-grade and technical-grade lithium.

The document outlines a technical framework for the valuation of lithium products—including brines, minerals, and chemicals—to ensure fair taxation in multinational mining operations. It details the physical characteristics of lithium deposits, the production processes for lithium carbonate and hydroxide, and the specific contractual elements that influence pricing. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to analyzing price indices from major agencies like Argus Media, Fastmarkets, and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, providing tax administrations with a methodology to adjust for product quality, economic circumstances, and delivery terms.

The report analyzes the fragmented ecosystem of AI audits, distinguishing between organizational conformity assessments and academic performance evaluations. It details the roles of internal, external, and community auditors, the methodologies used—such as input variation and benchmarking—and the current state of enforceable regulations in the US, Canada, EU, UK, and China. The document argues for a more diverse, trustworthy audit ecosystem with better data access and a focus on global impacts, including environmental and labor concerns, to move beyond 'null compliance'.

The Asia-Pacific region, home to 60% of the global population aged 60 and over, faces severe risks from climate change, including projected heat exposure nearly four times higher than other regions by mid-century. Older adults suffer disproportionately from heatwaves, natural disasters, and air pollution due to physical and socio-economic vulnerabilities. However, the document emphasises that older adults are not merely vulnerable but are 'a reservoir of knowledge and experience' who contribute to resilience through traditional knowledge and community-led initiatives in countries like India and Indonesia. The summary calls for a 'triangular strategy' of Protect, Reduce, and Mobilise to ensure older adults are active participants in climate action and that their human rights are protected through age-sensitive policies and universal social protection.

The WWF Markets Institute report outlines key surprises from 2023, including the rapid reach of AI and progress on global plastics, while highlighting systemic risks to the food system from climate change. It argues for a shift toward 'true cost' market mechanisms, the adoption of soil microbiology science, and the use of next-generation genetics to replace chemical inputs. The report emphasizes the need for better Scope 3 emissions traceability, the rehabilitation of stranded assets, and the creation of pre-competitive knowledge-sharing platforms to build global food system resilience.

Türkiye has a rooftop solar technical potential of at least 120 GW, which could meet 45% of the country's 2022 electricity consumption. Despite this potential, solar's share of generation lags behind northern European countries. The report highlights that expanding rooftop solar could reduce residential electricity subsidies, which totaled approximately $3.6 billion from September 2022 to August 2023, and help industries avoid EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) penalties. It recommends implementing installation obligations for new buildings and adopting virtual net metering for apartments, drawing on successful global examples from China, Poland, and the Netherlands.

In a speech at COP28, Colombian President Gustavo Petro calls for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to end the exploitation of oil, coal, and gas. He argues that current fossil fuel deposits are sufficient to lead the planet to a 3°C temperature increase and subsequent collapse. Petro frames the climate crisis as a struggle between 'fossil capital' and human life, highlighting the imminent threat of 'ethnocide' for island nations like Tuvalu and the necessity of a rational transition for oil-dependent economies, including Colombia.

ClientEarth asserts that banks providing financial services to fossil fuel expanders like Saudi Aramco are contributing to climate-related human rights impacts. The organization argues that such financing violates the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines, creating significant legal risks through emerging mandatory human rights due diligence laws and greenwashing litigation. ClientEarth proposes specific 'red-lines,' including an immediate end to financing new fossil fuel exploration and requiring clients to publish Paris-aligned transition plans by H1 2024.

The policy brief argues that existing coal retirement mechanisms (CRMs) in Asia and Africa are failing to translate pledges into funding and effective plant closures. It identifies barriers such as the prevalence of non-concessional loans, the risk of 'emission leakage,' and the moral hazard of incentivizing new coal build-out. To address these, Reclaim Finance and 11 partner organizations propose ten principles, which include an immediate stop to coal expansion finance, the replacement of coal with renewables rather than gas, the prohibition of tradeable carbon offsets, and the requirement for transparent, auction-based retirement processes.

The December 2023 update finds that global warming projections have stalled, with current policies leading to 2.7°C of warming by 2100. Even the most optimistic scenario, including all announced targets, results in 1.8°C, exceeding the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. The report highlights a growing implementation gap and warns that reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS), e-fuels, and carbon offsets are 'false solutions' that delay necessary deep emission cuts. It urges governments to submit 1.5°C-aligned 2035 targets by February 2025 and to commit to a complete phase-out of fossil fuels.

The report examines the vulnerability of global trade infrastructure to climate change, highlighting that maritime, land-based, and air transport are all exposed to acute and slow-onset hazards. It identifies critical 'chokepoints' in global supply chains, particularly for food and raw materials, and notes that current adaptation efforts by governments and businesses are insufficient. The document argues for a systemic, global approach to climate-proofing trade infrastructure to prevent catastrophic economic losses and support the low-carbon transition.